Shoes With Character

Nice. I have found those 'Made in Italy' combination top lifts to wear down rather quickly.

Damn Kolecho, those shells look amazing...might have to get some...

My ~10 years old clunker that I found buried deep in the garage recently.

Bostonian Classic LW 10.5:

Originally Posted by luftvier

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AE Yales recently resoled by a local cobbler. The leather's old and showing lots of wear, but hopefully that counts as "character" rather than "****** old shoes."

They need a drink of Pecards. That will zing those beauties back to life like a health spa...

My renovation project using techniques learnt from personal experience and from posters on FL and SF is complete.

http://img560.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img7852.jpg

If you follow the above hyperlink you will see the different phases of the renovation.

The shoes date to the 1940s and are a Thom McCann spade sole shoe as can be seen from the underneath shots. The size is USA8.5D.

If you were 60-70 years old I suspect you would show some wear and tear!

The actual colour is similar/the same as the monitor colour - a beautiful red undertoned russet. The leather is such good quality that it is naturally shiney resembling modern corrected grain.

The process was as follows:

1. Methylated spirits clean/ deglazing
2. Re-attachment of loose pieces with super glue
3. Firming the re-attached flapping bits down with the edge of a wooden shoe brush.
4. Recolouring discloured spots with Tuxan renovation polish in a cherry red/burgundy colour.
5. Pecards treatment to remoisturise the leather that had been deglazed.
6. Spit polishing the leather to restore shine.
7. Further Pecards treatment.
8. Further spit polishing to fill gouged holes and apply high shine.
9. Removal of stretching shoe trees.
10.New vintage type laces.

Please note that some of the darkness in the rougher toecap is trapped moisture from the spit shine that is gradually drying out and returning to a near normal colour. Other historic damage will become patina. The holes will gradually fill over with further polishing.

Originally Posted by meister

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http://img560.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img7852.jpg

the decent bugging is priceless. noice

1940s Boston Walkers Blue Suede Spades size 12B

Unfortunately these wonderful shoes will be going back as yet another eBay seller could not get the tagged size right!



Amazingly these shoes were in perfect vintage condition.

Beaten to death Alden Chuckkas in snuff suede. Worn in rotation weekly in the studio

^ Thanks for the photos -- those chukkas look great with all the wear and tear.

Originally Posted by srivats

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^ Thanks for the photos -- those chukkas look great with all the wear and tear.

Seriously??

Thanks - I'm not trying to glorify the nap of or patina of the suede....I beat on them and use them for work...not something usually seen on MC - just a pic of an honest work shoe. They are both lovely and hideous.

Originally Posted by artoftime

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Thanks - I'm not trying to glorify the nap of or patina of the suede....I beat on them and use them for work...not something usually seen on MC - just a pic of an honest work shoe. They are both lovely and hideous.

that i can sympathize with!

Grenson country shoes, bought 1992. Resoled maybe ten times. The upper is almost orange, a soft thick leather. Very comfortable for long walks.

Resole maybe 10 time.
Leather must be very strong.
How it possible?